This is from a coffee table book from the Sporting News called Best By Numbers. It came out in 2006. Every number has 1-4 pages with short summaries of the best players who wore them. It has a heavy Cardinal bias as the two writers who made this book are both from Missouri and have connections with the Post Dispatch.
5 comments
wayne regretzky
Let’s talk facts about who is better. How many HRs does Gretzky have? Case. Closed.
I always loved the story about how Taguchi decided on wearing 99. He wanted to wear the same number as he did in Japan, 6, but apparently that number was retired by the Cardinals for some reason. Since that wasn’t an option, he decided he’d flip the 6 over and try 9. Also retired. Ok we’ll he’ll just use two sixes and wear 66. Rick Ankiel had that number at the time. Finally, on the fourth try he flipped 66 over and settled on 99.
George Mikan would like a word with the author’s sports illiteracy, which it clearly is.
One player is an absolute legend, and the other is Wayne Gretzky.